Fatal fire ruled accidental

The Dec. 23 house fire that killed twin boys has been ruled as accidental, due to careless and improper cooking methods causing a grease fire in the kitchen.

The case is considered closed with no further follow-up being done by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, according to a report obtained under the Kansas Open Records Act. The Pratt Police Department has an ongoing investigation for potential criminal charges to be presented to the county attorney, the report said.

As firefighters were still working to extinguish the flames at 618 S. High, Pratt Police Detective Jeff Ward contacted OSFM Investigator Brad Agnew to assist in determining the origin of the fire. Agnew made an initial assessment and interviewed firefighters who were still on scene when he arrived.

The first firefighter who arrived on the scene told Agnew he observed a female on the roof of the porch and black smoke coming out of the window on the second floor. The woman yelled to him that her babies were inside and that he needed to get them. By the time he got his bunker gear on, she had left the roof, and he later saw her sitting on the tailgate of a truck in front of another residence.

Firefighters handed the bodies of Jayce and Jasper Ibarra, age 1, out through the window where their mother had been sitting when the first responder arrived. Pratt Emergency Medical Service personnel pronounced them dead at the scene.

Autopsies noted that the boys had thermal injuries, visible soot in their airways, and CO (carbon monoxide) levels of 84 percent 88 percent. The CO level is a byproduct of burning materials.

The children's mother, Destry Ibarra, 24, was taken to Pratt Regional Medical Center and transferred to a Wichita hospital. No burns were noted and medical staff stated her CO level was 3 percent.

Their father, Ramon Ibarra, 34, arrived home from an errand as fire crews were working.

Two firefighters suffered slight burns to their ears, but did not require medical treatment. They reported heavy dark smoke and intense heat from the fire.

The house is being demolished, as required by city codes when more than 51 percent is damaged.